Dutch Sandwich tern’s journey to England

This video from England is called Sandwich terns return to RSPB Coquet Island.

From Dawlish Warren Latest Sightings blog in Britain:

Sunday 21st July 2013

Another couple of darvic rung Sandwich Tern today, a juvenile (White NL1) and its probable parent (Red ELV) from the same colony as yesterday’s bird, Markenje, near Ouddorp, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands. The parent was rung at Heist, West-Vlaanderen, Belguim [sic; Belgium] in July 2007, whilst the colour ring was added when it was retrapped on the Ythan estuary, near Aberdeen in August 2011. The next sighting was on Markenje in June 2013 before it appeared at the Warren this morning.

What is most interesting is that this is a bird that chose to migrate north in 2011 (in its 5th calender year), but this year migrated in a different direction. This would suggest that terns indeed make a choice, to migrate north, south or west after the breeding season, showing that a network of protected sites are essential for the survival of this species. Thanks again to Pim Wolf and, in Scotland, Ewan Weston for the rapid dissemination of ringing data.

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